210,000 tenants face credit issue

210,000 tenants face "severe difficulties" renting in the future because of damage to their credit scores during the pandemic, @NRLAssociation has warned https://t.co/koDNJ1GBY2

— Telegraph Property (@TeleProperty) June 2, 2021

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1000's of tenants will struggle to pass referencing

Thousands of tenants will struggle to pass referencing after Covid, warn landlords #covidimpacts #uktenancies @NRLAssociation https://t.co/B1fC2SeOK0

— The Negotiator (@TheNeg) May 28, 2021

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3m Brits struggling to pay bills

Research by the University of Birmingham and the University of Lincoln suggests that more than 3m people in Britain are struggling to pay council tax and other essential billshttps://t.co/Dk6RzhOOC4

— Property Matters (@PropMatters_) October 8, 2019

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Tips for picking the right tenants

Choosing the right #tenants can save you time, money and hassle later on in your #landlord journey. Here are our top tips to finding the right renters... https://t.co/lKxG7fostP

— NLA (@nationalandlord) January 14, 2019

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More landlords use social media to screen tenants

More landlords use social media to screen tenants https://t.co/3kzwLap3KX pic.twitter.com/p0E6Af8asb

— News on the Block (@newsontheblock) December 19, 2018

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The fragile finances of 16-24yr olds - ONS

71% of people aged 16-24 and living independently said they wouldn’t be able to make ends meet for longer than 3 months if they lost their main source of income, compared to 67% of those living with family https://t.co/3cHhKY9Kp0 pic.twitter.com/ntVno6rrB0

— ONS (@ONS) August 1, 2018

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Can landlords discriminate against families

Can landlords legally discriminate against families with children? https://t.co/tDjUddQxpT pic.twitter.com/eJju94zDAy

— News on the Block (@newsontheblock) June 26, 2018

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Landlords welcome the idea of a 'tenant database'

A ‘tenant database’ to counterbalance compliance expected of PRS landlords has received an enthusiastic reception - https://t.co/F628iFNnsj #ukhousing #FutureRenting17 pic.twitter.com/sik1yJ2zJn

— 24housing Magazine (@24housing) December 1, 2017

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Warnings over checking a tenant's Facebook

You may want to think twice before checking out potential tenants on Facebookhttps://t.co/VSuQQN8qBV

— RLA Landlord News (@RLA_News) November 13, 2017

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Is checking tenants Facebook profile illegal?

Checking out potential tenants on Facebook? Here's why you may be breaking the law https://t.co/D0I5qvg5WZ

— RLA Landlord News (@RLA_News) October 30, 2017

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Retaining good tenants

How can landlords retain good tenants in their residential properties? Find out on our blog: https://t.co/L79ld0Vw4T pic.twitter.com/LiSbn959ae

— Savills (@Savills) June 13, 2017

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BTL Fergus Wilson bans coloured tenants

Britain's biggest landlord bans 'coloured people' because of 'the curry smell'  https://t.co/zyMF7MbWft pic.twitter.com/DAIKlFOoCE

— Telegraph News (@TelegraphNews) March 29, 2017

The private renting sector enables racist landlords like Fergus Wilson https://t.co/PnjtjYwCG2

— Nearly Legal (@nearlylegal) March 29, 2017

A landlord who doesn't rent to "coloured people" because of "the curry smell" says he "would do it again" https://t.co/igaHOeU8LC

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 29, 2017

Banning potential tenants based on the colour of their skin, size of their family or job is quite frankly abhorrent: https://t.co/QiAii1zOCP

— Shelter (@Shelter) March 30, 2017

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Is renting a service industry?

Would a TripAdvisor for tenants make renting a service industry? https://t.co/eWnyvLjuPu via @FT @ClaerB

— Gay Collins (@GayCollins) February 8, 2017

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Could Brexit make tenant checks harder?

Could Brexit make it harder for landlords to check that tenants are in the UK illegally? https://t.co/FBJmqAMDhd #RighttoRent

— Landlord Action (@LandlordAction) June 13, 2016

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Tenant referencing of the future

Could this be the referencing of the future?

The world for renting and letting is migrating online.  We already allow you to manage your property portfolio with our free Property Management Software.

Now, I've come across a new way of referencing your tenants. By delving into their social media accounts it enables landlords to see what sort of people their prospective tenants are.  I

Is this morally wrong, or just using the latest technology to ensure landlords stay one step a head of scamming tenants?

How does the new tenant referencing system work?

The new company, Tenant Assured, looks at a potential tenant's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin profiles and using analytical software will look at public and private messages to try and get a unique insight into an individuals attitudes and life events, including looking at whether the prospective tenant has any financial stresses.

Apparently the analytic software looks at:

• Bayesian belief systems
• Psycholinguistics
• Natural language processing
• Machine learning

This so, Tenant Assured maintains it will give landlords a better understanding of what makes a prospective tenant tick and whether they really are going to stop paying your rent or do a runner.

Property Hawks View

Hey, here at Property Hawk, we are always open to new ideas.  I say give it a go.  We have already seen the power of the likes of landlords using Facebook to catch out rogue tenants.  What I would also  do is combine these latest techniques with traditional tenant referencing and also our tips of vetting tenants. It's now even possible to reference your tenants for FREE.

If you put this together with ensuring that if there is any doubt in the tenants ability to pay rent on a regular basis that there is a guarantor in place then you should have a very high chance of getting a good honest tenant that pays rent on time and a strongly performing tenancy.

Letting Referencing -  get started

Landlord digs up tenant's disturbing past

The accidental landlord, @VicWhitlock, digs up a tenant's renting past and uncovers disturbing details online: https://t.co/4jZef6IXlv

— ES Homes & Property (@HomesProperty) October 19, 2015

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5 tips to avoid bad tenants

Here are a few top tips for avoiding tenants from hell.  Once you have a bad tenant then non-payment of rent becomes a huge issue so you need to avoid these bad tenants in the first place. So this is what you need to do:

1. Always do extensive tenant referencing by thoroughly vetting your tenants
2. Watched out for forged and fake tenant references and faked tenant ID such as passports or driving licences. Are the tenants really who they say they are.  Make sure you cross check the information.
3. Double check the tenants ID phone work and go through the switchboard rather than using a direct line this way you have the certainty of matching up the person to the name and ensuring that they really do work where the tenant says they do.  It may be you will get the switchboard saying 'oh no they have left the company' or 'we have nobody of this name working here'.
4. Always make sure you insist on seeing the tenants last 6 months of bank statements.  This will give you a unique insight into how they conduct their finances including whether they really have been paying the rent on their last rental property.  Despite what the last landlord might have said in his tenant reference (could they possibly be trying to get rid of their nightmare tenant to some other poor unsuspecting landlord).
5. When you meet the tenants are they on time for their appointment, do they seem organised and responsible.  If they are late for the viewing do they apologise.  I'm a great believer in the 'face to face'.  I think you can tell a lot about the character of tenant my meeting the tenant personally and don't ignore your landlord senses!

Here is more advice on getting great tenants.
If in doubt make sure you get a tenant guarantor

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Be wary of fake tenant references

Landlords need to be wary of taking references provided by a potential tenant.

References are easy to fake.

There are now even online sites that provide fake landlord references. For a fee, these fake reference companies will even answer the phone to give verbal confirmation that the tenant/ client is the epitome of high morale and trustworthiness. So glowing in fact, you might even consider inviting them to move in with you.

Here's an example of one such fake referencing site.

Once in, however, it might become clear why the tenant used a fake reference service in the first place, but by then it will be too late.

So be warned, and always take up the usual tenant checks alongside any reference provided by a potential tenants - however professional it might appear.

Get a tenant reference here

Tenant immigration checks set to begin

Pull out your old desk light and pull on your black leather boots it seems that landlords are definitely joining the ranks of the UK border control as part of the new Immigration Act 2014.

All private landlords and letting agents will be required to check the immigration status of potential tenants, with failure to do so, potentially resulting in a maximum £3000 fine. 

A pilot of the scheme is set to start in October in a, as yet, unnamed region.

Codes of Practice and more information will be released over the coming months on how these checks should be carried out - so watch this space.

As for now, tenant referencing companies are popping champagne corks as a salute to increased state intervention - so here's to me, watching you, watching them, watching us....

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Tenant threatens landlord with gun

An disgruntled tenant has been accused of threatening his landlord with a gun.

The incident is still being investigated by Lancashire Police.

The angry tenant, a Mr Darryl James Riding, 28 from Preston allegedly travelled by taxi to threaten his landlord, a Doctor Khumar. 

Armed with a silver handgun, the accused is also being charged with threatening the taxi driver and not paying his taxi fare. 

The incidents occurred on June 29th in Chorley, Lancarshire.

A preliminary hearing will be held at Preston Crown Court on July 15 and Riding is remanded in custody until then.

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